RESEARCH, PHARMA TECH
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | March 10, 2023
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a leading RNA-targeted therapy firm, recently announced that the USFDA has accepted for review a new drug application (NDA) for eplontersen. Eplontersen is an investigational antisense medicine designed to reduce the production of transthyretin (TTR) protein and treat hereditary and non-hereditary forms of ATTR amyloidosis (ATTR).
The NDA has been given a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of December 22, 2023. The FDA has declared that no review concerns were detected and made no new data requests. The FDA also stated that it does not intend to conduct a meeting of the advisory committee to discuss the application.
ATTR amyloidosis is a systemic disease caused by the accumulation of TTR protein in organs, leading to progressive organ damage and eventually death. Patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) experience ongoing debilitating nerve damage throughout their bodies, resulting in the progressive loss of motor function.
The NDA for eplontersen is based on results from the global Phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study showcased at the International Symposium on Amyloidosis (ISA). In the study, eplontersen showcased a statistically significant and clinically meaningful change relative to the baseline for its co-primary and critical secondary endpoints compared to the external placebo group. In addition, Eplontersen also demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile.
Ionis and AstraZeneca announced a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize eplontersen in December 2021. Eplontersen is being developed and commercialized jointly by both businesses in the United States and will be created and commercialized by AstraZeneca throughout the rest of the globe, except Latin America.
The FDA granted eplontersen Orphan Drug Designation in the United States in January 2022. Eplontersen is also being studied in the worldwide Phase 3 CARDIO-TTRansform trial for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a systemic, progressive, and deadly disorder leading to progressive heart failure and death within 3 to 5 years after disease start.
About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Its unique antisense technology platform allows them to develop RNA-targeted therapies that modify the production of disease-causing proteins, leading to the development of treatments for rare genetic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The company's most significant achievement is developing and commercializing Spinraza, the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy. Ionis Pharmaceuticals has also developed drugs for other rare diseases, including transthyretin amyloidosis, Huntington's disease, and myotonic dystrophy type 1.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Accord Healthcare | March 14, 2023
On March 13, 2023, Accord Healthcare informed that it has expanded its portfolio with Teriflunomide, a film-coated tablet equivalent to Sanofi Genzyme's Aubagio. The drug treats relapsing forms of MS in adults, including clinically-isolated syndrome and active secondary progressive disease. The company offers Teriflunomide in 14 mg and 7 mg tablets, now available for shipping.
Teriflunomide has been granted FDA approval as an immunomodulatory agent for patients aged 18 and above. Its purpose is to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses, which can lead to new or worsening neurological symptoms associated with the disease.
Accord Healthcare US Vice President of Sales Jim Brown stated, "We're proud to add Teriflunomide to our portfolio. This is an important oral therapy for the millions of patients living with relapsing MS." He added, "Generic medicine allows broad access to effective therapy, to help improve disease course and potentially slow progression of MS."
(Source – Cision PR newswire)
Teriflunomide is an immunomodulatory medication that inhibits an enzyme critical to a metabolic pathway that supports lymphocyte proliferation. This results in fewer activated lymphocytes, which minimizes inflammation and immunological reactivity, resulting in lower recurrence rates and protection of brain volume against inflammatory nerve cell attacks.
Around 2.8 million people globally have multiple sclerosis, with the majority diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS that typically begins in their twenties or thirties. Diagnosis involves experiencing two or more attacks or relapses while maintaining stability. New or exacerbated symptoms characterize relapses, and the immune system attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, ultimately causing long-term damage. Symptoms include numbness, fatigue, double vision, and balance problems. Besides, relapsing-remitting MS can also progress to active secondary progressive disease.
About Accord Healthcare
Accord Healthcare, a subsidiary of Intas Pharmaceuticals, is recognized as a prominent player in the generic pharmaceutical industry. The company's vision is to enhance patient access to medicines and revolutionize the pharmaceutical experience for healthcare providers and patients. With an emphasis on advanced manufacturing technology and in-house research, Accord Healthcare delivers a wide range of affordable, complex, and essential medicines. The company's dedication to forward-thinking and innovative solutions remains at the core of its mission. Headquartered in Durham (North Carolina), its products are marketed in 80 countries through the Intas network.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
Elligo Health Research | January 25, 2023
On January 24, 2023, Elligo Health Research®, the leading healthcare-enabling research organization, presented the DataAI Connect, a new data and technology platform that will facilitate data-driven, rapid clinical research. DataAI Connect, a scalable, end-to-end data platform, optimizes the clinical research workflow by decreasing human error and rapidly digesting patient data to speed up clinical studies.
Elligo has created an industry-first AI-driven platform that sources, processes, analyses, and distributes patient real-world data (RWD) by bringing together data, processes, and clinical expertise. That means an end-to-end solution that solves clinical trial issues directly rather than being an add-on technology. The platform is adaptable and reusable, and it includes the following
An RWD repository of electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical data storage that incorporates EHR, clinical trial, and patient data for analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and research
A comprehensive medical records retrieval and analytics solution that transforms data into searchable, actionable insights and personalized patient journey information within minutes using NLP, ML, and clinical experience.
A data-driven protocol development service that puts designs to the test in the real world.
Elligo's Chief Data Officer, Michael Ibara, commented, "The application of AI approaches to healthcare and clinical study data is moving from the moon-shot approach to more practical applications." He added, "An example of this approach is the process of getting patients' medical records, which involves manual, non-scalable activities such as getting accurate information on patients' providers, asking sites to track down records, and having humans triage hundreds of pages of medical records. The judicious and intelligent application of natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and other AI approaches increases speed, accuracy and quality, while removing the burden from the sites and patients."
(Source – Business Wire)
About Elligo Health Research
Founded in 2016, Elligo Health Research® is a leading healthcare-enabling clinical research organization. With access to known patients and their HIPAA-compliant healthcare data, its IntElligo® Research Stack technology and eSolutions Research Accelerator PatientSelect approach expedite clinical trials through healthcare. Elligo's Site Solutions, combined with the largest Known Patient Access Network, enable healthcare practices and research sites to engage in clinical studies. Its services expedite the development of novel pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic products through the adaptive involvement of known patients and clinicians.
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